Alderman Victor Taylor filed Thursday to run for re-election on the New Bern Board of Aldermen for Ward 2.

Election filings closed at noon Friday and Taylor is being challenged by Micha Grimes in the October election.

“I decided to try again,” Taylor said. “I thank the people who supported me and believed in me during my first term. However, I’ve still got some things I need to complete that didn’t get completed but should be by the second term.”

One of those things is economic development and unity in all of the communities, which was Taylor’s platform during the last election.

Also during the new term, Taylor said he wants to see accountability in the city departments and city officials held accountable.

“The whole government has to be run on a fair basis throughout the city,” Taylor said. “My favorite saying is ‘It’s always right to do what’s right and it’s never wrong to do what’s right.’”

Taylor said during his first term he was not satisfied with the “fairness, firmness and consistency” while he was on the Board of Aldermen.

“I wasn’t satisfied that it was an equal playing field for the entire city,” Taylor said.

That showed in drainage issues throughout the city where more attention was paid to some areas than others, he said.

“But it’s getting there,” he said. “It’s getting better.”

Taylor said he was proud of several accomplishments during his first term, from getting the storm water program started for the Duffyfield area, work done on First Street, Second Street, the realignment of Third Street, and traffic signals at the Five Points corridor.

Taylor said he wants to continue trying to get electric rates lowered, and he is going to uphold accountability, making sure surveys and plans for the city will not be filed away and forgotten.

“I will make sure they go forth,” he said. “…I think I’ve done what people wanted me to do during my first term and I hope they allow me a second term to do the same thing.”

Taylor, who has worked for the Department of Safety, correctional division, since 1998, sits on many boards, including NAACP, Man-to-Man Cancer, Relay for Life, Special Olympics, Habitat for Humanity and the Craven County Library board.

Eddie Fitzgerald can be reached at 252-635-5675 or at eddie.fitzgerald@newbernsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @staffwriter3.